Believe it or not… You’ll laugh!
Love them, or hate them, you cannot ignore them. They made a mark on Comedy Central and if all turns out decent (and it looks that way) with KEANU, Hollywood may have itself another “dummy duo” to play with. Keegan-Michael Key and Jordon Peele have their own brand of humor. No matter what direction they take, rest assured they’ll find a way to unleash comedic swag. Using themselves most of the time for punch-lines, especially with subject-matters that seem to be touchy nowadays, their biracial background seems to be the structure that allows this sharp pair to capitalize upon their world of whacky jokes. And guess what? With KEANU, nothing’s changed!
The guys play Clarence (Key) and Rell (Peele), cousins who live in the city of LA, but surrounded by everything and anything that avoids them being remotely close to street-savvy. When Rell’s beloved kitty, Keanu, is catnapped, the hopelessly straight-laced pair must impersonate ruthless killers in order to infiltrate a street gang and retrieve the cute, yet drama-ridden kitty. The kicker here is it isn’t that easy as this sweet, little feline creates a gang war, forcing our two dimwitted heroes to take the law (legal and illegal) into their own hands.
Honestly, KEANU turned out to be a lot more enjoyable than I expected. As a lover of all comedies (innocent or crude), if it’s got spark, I’m laughing. And trust me when I say not only I, but everyone else in the audience found themselves laughing more than once. It’s an R-rated Key and Peele skit on steroids and bigger budget. Their brand of humor is an acquired taste. (Clearly not meant for everyone) BUT… it has merits. Quite frankly, it’s a dumb movie. Nonsensical and ridiculous within its concept, but able to find its humor within the nooks-and-crannies of complete stupidity. It’s everything and more you’d expect from the them. It has highs and lows (as all of their skits), yet flows smoothly and humorously. Not a complete waste and adding to its carnival of comedic chaos is its supporting cast and cameos which helps this funny flick stand out even more.
Whether this turns out to be a sleeper hit, I don’t know. What it will do however is lure their fans to come out and watch them at their best. I won’t hate on it. It’s not the greatest comedy ever, but surely a surprisingly decent one I think most will find themselves surprised to have enjoyed.
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Grade: B | Genre: Comedy, Action | Rated: R | Run Time: 1:40
Starring: Keegan-Michael Key, Jordan Peele, Method Man, Tiffany Haddish, Nia Long, Luis Guzman, Anna Faris
Directed by: Peter Atencio
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